Saturday, June 25, 2011

I now have a fire to do better in time trials and take them more seriously after the nightmare of going to the prologue of the Tour of Washington county ten minutes late and not havng a warm up. Terrible preparation on my behalf and the disappointment of losing that much entry money was a pisser.

After seeing guys like Art Browne and my friend Paul Lengermann going out to the team time trial and doing an earlier time at church creek and also the team one I am in a state of admiration for said individuals who have the heart and self sacrifice to endure soo much pain. Good pain that earlier in my years as a racer I would accept and endure.. now I wonder if I am just trying to enter what I can do with ease and comparative less pain. An attitude I never admire and I am beside myself for lapsing into such a complacent mode. I was angry at the official who would not give me a new start time last weekend, but I am more than over it and I realize that to accomodate for one is to do soo for all and thats a form of weaness. Weakness is something of which I detest to a degree. Therefore its a contradictory attitude on my behalf to expect or ask someone to display a behavior for which I have little respect. As for the team I ride on this year, I tried to convince them of the value of the team time trial and the individual one congruent with my recent realization, but to no avail. ( granted it was a couple days in advance of said event) I hate having little influence on the direction of the team I ride for and it will sit with me for awhile. I have never liked not being listened to since childhood which to my recollection was the constant with a gifted twin and an older brother. Cest la vie, but one should be aware of the things that one can change. Anyway, congratulations to all the riders who faced today the most honest challenger out there; the clock.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The 1.2.3 race this weekend was pretty fast. I mean the Clarendon cup event on Saturday. The staging was pretty silly where the officials allowed some of the riders to enter from the pit side and displayed there lack of authority over the race. This was annoying because it totally put me at the back of that race which I seem to always end up from the start. They are either going to have to have grid qualifiers for a 123 event or actually officiate something besides minutia. This seems like an important issue to regulate because it would appear as though the worst riders try to get their best positioning for this one just to let a duo go into the first turn never to be seen again. Effectively blocking the field long enough for a significant gap to open. Yes, DC Velo did do intentional blocking. Yes there was also some pretty damn sketchy blocking done on their behalf also, and also some plain old effective methods but nonetheless the rest of the not soo honorable types did their part by simply being wusses.Comparing the two fields between Saturday and Sunday is like comparing apples to oranges. The orange would be Saturdays Haymarket guy who is a not too talented singular rider (their biggest guy) and Sunday being the apples ( mostly very talented and stable riders ) I pick on the orange solely bc he was the worst rider I have seen ever...hands down... except for the saving grace for him, and annoying for everyone else, that he could motor back every time after bungling the turns. All the way to the very last turn.The pro -cat 1 race was thankfully exempt from the cat two up n comers in at least two ways. They couldnt be lame in the turns because they were not allowed to enter. They couldnt weasel to the start line by any means necessary because they were not allowed to enter. In my mind there are two reasons to wrestle to the front and be soo concerned about getting ones wheel on the line at the start either out of plain fear of being dropped or to actually do something like break away very early. The very same reason why the whole front of a race would sit back and not chase, or lets say not hold the wheel slipping away or go around the one rider who is blocking, FEAR. It was a very disappointing raceon Saturday in this respect. In the calamity of talentless individuals and there lacking courage and strength also. It is not fair to say the riders off the front`were slow because Josh and Mike did a fine job, but the field should boast very little and honestly Kelly, Battley-Harley Davidson, and NCVC should hang their heads low for doing nothing very affective to pull this twosome back.The Crystal classic was smooth as a babys bottom as far as the riders went. The course was as nasty and dangerous as an outpost position in Afghanistan. There were soo many flats due to potholes that to take count would have been difficult. The speed is soo much faster then amateur racing and one had better really be used to getting tight in the draft or suffer the consequences. Cornering in the pro fields for the most part is simple and courteous and there are not nearly the same amount of desperate chops being dished out by eager riders. people hold the wheel in front of them and dont take the opportunistic advancements that lead to sketchy bunching up out of turns and cause crashes.I managed to place 35 th and I was glad to represent for Artemis this weekend. The hat is off to Ryan Mckinny ( DC Velo) who dragged the group of split off riders along the start/stop stretch for the run in to the finish. We were all stretched as far as limits go due to the 2 to go United health power train that crushed all hope of a bunch sprint....instead it was a spent riders sprint. In our group DJ had a launch that went flying, just as me and Chuck Hutch started our jump. It was really an effort to start the sprint there and there was a waiting game that shoulda gone earlier but nobody had anything left in that group and again it too an honorable soldier like Mr. Mckinny to volunteer and pull the whole distance from the last turn. A nice guy thru and thru.On another note. As I was cooling down along the very wide open section of the course, the team of Colavita women were on the road and one of them said coming thru or sumpin but I was not around others or swerving soo I just held my line and the last rider was a little lady with big attitude and hers was the only pro that gave me an uncalled for injection of nerve gas as though I was totally in the wrong. I figured if I turned around not knowing which side they wanted to pass me on than I might move into their train ....anyways ...you can please some of the people...I did enjoy the racing, though the potholes did do my rear rim a dinger....such is racing and at least it held psi...thanks being to tubulars.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Now I realize that the image most have of me may be less then that of a courteous guy, but, still I am going to point out a few things on the topic anyway.The ten oclock today spurred me to write this post. In case you dont realize my meaning as to the reference to the ten oclock, it is the ten oclock TRAINING ride ( not race ) that starts on Beach Dr. above Pierce mill north just a bit. Soo today there were two things that miffed me. First item of contention for me was the sudden burst of speed that my good buddy Chuck put on the whole way up Tuckermann Dr. barely out of Rock Creek. I realize its not my place to rectifty ones effort but I want to say the ride has always been one where there is an idea of inclusion for the masses at least up to the top of said hill . Why you might ask? Because it is courteous. A concept indeed and not a rule but it is only being human. I wouldnt bother with this portion of my rant if it was the first time for the massive elite body that is XO comm. or Harley but its not. I got on Sean B. for this same display of machismo before and obviously to no avail. I dont get it. Theres plenty of hills to go and they will certainly reduce the masses on their own. Sorry about my streak of honesty but I think its a little lame. No it didnt really hurt me phisically too much but I sympathise for others. There I said it. I feel better.now...the real meat of my posts content lies in an entirely different issue which was flagrently displayed on todays ride. The idea that we cyclists deserve the whole road. We DONT. There is a law on the books stating that if you are going the speed limit or near it as a cyclist then you can take the whole road. Otherwise move to the right and let the kings of the road do their thing...or suffer the consequences and dont cry about right or wrong if youre hit or verbally abused. Again...I am sure some will say that I am not the one to say anything as far as my regard to the law...but still I am. I am embarrassed by my fellow cyclists behavior today and especially a teammate of mine who was on the front of the group and riding just barely to the right of the yellow line as though he were a suburban reincarneted. I tried to tell them to move over and of course I was ignored. This sort of attitude/stupidity is what brings the community of avid cyclist a bad name and creates a negative stigma. One which I cant say is wrong in this context or situation. Why do it ? Ride the yellow line. Is it a I deserve the road also sort of mentality ? I pay taxes thinking ? i WANT TO KNOW. Hospitals I avoid. Fights with bigger bodies , animated or inanimate, I also avoid. As a ex messenger I have seen a lot of uncalled for situations and sort of hate crimes against cyclists and its not pleasant, so lets try to avoid creating more animosity please. There , I am done. No hard feelings to any mentioned individuals really but lets work together on this thing called life and the notion of individual rights.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The dedication to a sport such as racing bicycles is a growing and somewhat elusive one to explain. Sure one can just ride their bike on nice days and only at decent temperatures. The rewards later on when races begin though will show and your own disappointment will knaw at yourself for not putting in the time. The pattern becomes apparent after some seasons and the balance is hopefully found between comfort with ones results and happiness on the other fronts of life. Such as having another life. Off the bike sort of fulfillment.This predetermined course of mindset, the proper balance, is definitely aided by having a solid team to propel your riding. A solid team does develop ones individual talent, regardless of that persons age, by providing incentive, goals, and group support. There is monetary help. To be encouraged by many to get out and do some miles is support in the phisical department. The contagion of winning among a team can spread also to other riders of the same kit. These things are nice.This structure is very different from one where the perks are rare and the rewards are always the same, regardless of output. Such as with government work. The culmination of your efforts are very visible in cycling. The congregation of talent on a particular team in a specific region is natural because of these dynamics. I am not mentioning specifics but outlining growth patterns. The bottom line here ?I think it would be great for the sport if the area could produce a team that can really be a force on the big NRC circuit and any other events they come across. The limitation being a smaller budget as a regional powerhouse, but the team would then become a farm team for division three teams. In this sense age falls heavily into play.An area farm team for the salary guys.How could a hopefull contender in the area, not want to ride on a setup of that sort, which carries such potential ? Hate the game not the player ?

Monday, January 10, 2011

The first ride for 2011 that I participated in was yesterday out west in Haymarket. The night before I got out all the needed gear for heat preservation. I took care of the waiver and greeted some individuals and after a small run over of the basics by Jared Nieters the training ride was off.The earlier departure of 8 am was tuff but once under way the pains were forgotten. The pace was somewhat sporatic but relatively survivable unless one is out of shape and if soo the "b group is advisable. Maybe around mile 20 or so the route hits gravel...a longer section then I expected to hit at this early a point for a projected near 70 mile ride. The gravel gave me a flat but not before suffering much pain trying to stay on....I kept having flashbacks of prior "Poolesville Esque memories. the Fuentes driven sag wag was right there and scooped me up. We then went and scooped two more flats. We caught the group where they stopped for a minute. The problems begin around here for me. The waiting group has people lingering up the road. These rabbits, that bound away early, create a tempting carrot for an immediate, insane speeds, persuit . After getting a flat and suffering up to that point, somewhat gratefull to be in the car because the dirt I was not pedaling was hilly, and sorta sketchy with bigger rocks mixed in with smaller ones ,I was on the bike again but the immediate chasing was too much for me and the wheel I was on dropped me. Well lets say he was going harder than I was willing to put out. Yeah sure. El next rider to come by my somewhat sorry ass is Sean Barrie. He does fly by,but I does get on. The effort was pretty up there as far as pain goes but I rotate where it is feasable and we hitch back on. Fun stuff. Thankfully there must have been some barking by someone like Jared to alleviate the suffering and reduce the pace. January was a word that kept popping into my head and massochism and so on. The midway or so, at Middleburgh is not for Coffee or Krumpets, but another stop for assurance as to collectiveness. The warning is put out that all beyond this point shall not see another regrouping so deal with it. I jest. The ride recommences. The pace is again too much for many very quick soo the "A group" from the" A ride" has thankfully detached. There are the fighters who keep up the hopes of getting across but they dont get there and are reabsorbed. My second group here consists of maybe 15 guys and one strong female named Monica or thereabouts and from Switzerland...i heard....We get to Aldie on rt 50 and enter the dirt section which goes into and over Bull Run Mtn. ( i am cooked ) I am unwilling to attempt to stay attached. A couple hang back like Soda and JDawg thankfully. I flat again and my teammate and new best friend J Dawg gives much assist with co2 and spare tube....amen,... I limp in behind the Artemis draft helping very little and into the truck I hit the heater. Frick n frack ...I thought my fitness was capable of dealing better with said ride but Cest la Vie , maybe next week ! It was epic and it was great to see soo many friends on the scene.

About Me

I was a foreman at two landscape companys before but I wanted to do different designs and be in control of my schedule. Therefore I began Chris Schmidt Landscaping. I have quite a bit of experience in landscape design and maintenance also. I am certified in landscape design and application. This is my current occupation.